1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to contactless IC chips, portable terminals, information processing methods, and programs, and more particularly, to a contactless IC chip, a potable terminal, an information processing method, and a program capable of hiding information within the contactless IC chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, taking advantage of being installed in cellular phones, contactless IC chips, such as FeliCa®, are becoming more familiar. For example, a user of a cellular phone containing a contactless IC chip is able to pay for goods using the cellular phone or to check information on a train pass by bringing the cellular phone closer to a reader/writer installed on an automatic ticket gate.
FIG. 1 shows an example of the logical format of data within a contactless IC chip.
In this specification, the term “contactless IC chip” means a semiconductor integrated circuit device that at least implements an IC card function and that includes a wireless interface. The term “contactless IC chip” represents an IC chip installed in data communication devices, such as IC cards, cellular phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs).
In the example shown in FIG. 1, “area 0001”, “service 0008”, and “service 1008” are registered for “area 0000”, which functions as a parent layer.
The term “area” means a region for managing a service, which will be described later. For example, the term “area” used here is similar to the term “folder” used in Windows®. One or more areas are generated based on a command transmitted from a reader/writer, and services are hierarchically managed in the respective areas. In order to access a service managed in an area functioning as a parent layer, a key identical to that assigned when generating the area must be provided to an accessing apparatus (for example, a reader/writer), according to need.
The term “service” means a region for managing an entity of data, such as data itself of electronic money. For example, the term “service” used here is similar to the term “file” used in Windows. One or more services are appropriately generated, in an area functioning as a parent layer, based on a command transmitted from a reader/writer. In order to access data managed in a service, a key identical to that assigned when generating the service must be provided to an accessing apparatus (for example, a reader/writer), according to need.
In the example shown in FIG. 1, definition information is added to each of the “service 0008” and the “service 1008”.
Definition information includes information on a service, such as node code information (that is, a service number), a key version, and AllocateBlock information (that is, the number of blocks of definition information allocated to a file system), as described later.
When an external wireless interface (I/F) causes a contactless IC chip that manages data on the basis of such a logical format to execute a “Request Service” command, file information, such as the above-mentioned definition information including a service number, a key version, and the like (a key is not required for access to the definition information), on the “area 0000”, the “area 0001”, the “service 0008”, and the “service 1008” can be acquired, as shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, when an internal wired I/F causes the contactless IC chip to execute a “Request Service” command, file information on the “area 0000”, the “area 0001”, the “service 0008”, and the “service 1008” can be acquired.
Interfaces of a contactless IC chip are channels between a transmitter of a command to be executed by the contactless IC chip and a configuration (command execution unit) that executes the command within the contactless IC chip. As shown in FIG. 1, a wireless I/F and a wired I/F are available as interfaces of the contactless IC chip.
When a command is transmitted from a reader/writer, a wireless I/F (or the external I/F) corresponds to a channel between the reader/writer and the command execution unit, that is, electromagnetic waves, a configuration of the contactless IC chip that receives the electromagnetic waves, and a physical and logical configuration that acquires data by demodulating the received electromagnetic waves and that outputs an acquired command to the command execution unit.
In addition, a contactless IC chip contained in a portable terminal is capable of executing commands generated by an application (that is, a program described based on Java® or the like) running on the portable terminal, as well as commands generated by and transmitted from a reader/writer. In this case, a wired I/F (or internal I/F) corresponds to a physical and logical configuration between the application (that is, a central processing unit (CPU) executing the application) and a command execution unit of the contactless IC chip.
Definition information and the like, from among information registered in a contactless IC chip, can be easily acquired by a third party.
A method for managing entering and leaving of a user using a contactless IC card in which a personal ID and the like are registered is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-6578.